Working In Molds - Part One

 I have been wanting to give you some tips for working in these molds and also show you some samples of the many many things you can embed in resin.

 I often get asked about mold release. 

If you are using the polyester casting resin you really should use it  For this demonstration I am using my favorite resin:  Envirotex Lite.  Envirotex Lite was not created to fill deep molds.  Ordinarily you need to switch to the Polyester Casting Resin or Easy Cast.  They were designed for mold making!  But since I am working in layers and not doing a deep pour I can stick to Envirotex Lie.  I didn't use the mold release so if you don't have it don't worry too much!

 In a bezel you see everything you are doing and pour resin in over the top of your design.  

In a mold, the bottom is the top.  

So you have to work without really knowing if there are bubbles or if your objects are in the right place.  It's the opposite to working in a bezel!  

So here is a great tip.  Work in layers!  

My first step is to pour Envirotex Lite into each opening of my mold.  The resin is about 1/8 of an inch deep.  Let this set for a bit.  I usually wait two hours and at this point the resin is thick like a glue.  Then I add my objects.  If you add your objects without waiting, they'll just pool at the bottom of the mold because the resin is not very thick when you first mix it.

Here is everything I set into mold today.  I am going to let this cure overnight before adding in another layer of Envirotex Lite.  Stay Tuned!